In the very center of the continental territory, from west to east, stands a majestic and magnificent mountain range, which is the Qinling Mountains. There is also a poetic and legendary name in the middle of the Qinling Mountains - Zhongnan Mountain. At the end of 2009, Nanshan appeared on the world stage with its magical and unique natural landscapes, becoming the first global geopark in the northwest of the mainland.
Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark
The ancient Zhongnan Mountain has a long and complex history of geological evolution, which not only shows the typical fault structure of the central orogenic belt of the Qinling Mountains, the geological relics of rare landslides and the Quaternary glacial landform, but also the loess section of the fossils of "Lantian Ape Man" and "Gongwangling Fauna". It is a colorful and rich "masterpiece of natural history", which provides valuable scientific data for the study of geological evolution and human origin in Chinese mainland, and has epoch-making scientific significance.
The magnificent orogeny was born in the Qinling Mountains
The geological history of the Qinling Mountains can be traced back to 1.8 billion years ago, when the continental crust of North China in the northern part of the Qinling Mountains had been formed, but the Qinling Mountains and the areas south of them were still a vast sea with intense volcanic activity on the ocean floor. About 1 billion years ago, the South China continental crust was roughly formed, and the two continental crusts moved in opposite directions, squeezing and deforming, thus giving birth to the prototype of the Qinling Mountains. This was followed by the reverse stretching of the two crusts, the crust of the Qinling Mountains was widened and thinned, a series of rifts and troughs appeared, the mantle magma upwelled, and black smoke billowed from the seabed.
Qinling - the suture line between the north and south of the continent
400 million years ago, the Qinling Mountains began to truly transform from the sea to the mountains. Between 400 million and 260 million years ago, two continents (the Yangzi plate and the North China plate) in the north and south of the continent were hedged on a large scale, and the northern part of the Qinling Mountains folded into mountains, and the southern part formed the Daba Mountain arc and the back-arc basin. About 250 million years ago, with the development of global tectonic movements such as the Indosinian movement and the Yanshan movement, the Yangzi plate and the North China plate collided strongly, the continental orogeny began, and the Qinling Mountains, China's central orogenic system, gradually formed and developed.
After more than a billion years of vicissitudes, the magnificent orogeny has presented us with an ancient and young, changeable and stable huge mountain range. The Qinling Mountains are the suture zone of the north and south continents of China, and the natural geographical dividing line between the north and south of the mainland, which gave birth to the wind and rain of the Qinchuan River for 800 miles and the peerless elegance of the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.
The history of tectonic activities is long, and the South Mountain is a wonder of the world
Cirque Lake on Jungnam Mountain
With a long history of geological evolution and complex and strong tectonic activities, Zhongnan Mountain of the Qinling Mountains has become a typical concentrated representative of the scientific connotation and surface landscape of the Qinling Orogenic Belt. The rocks and strata here are fully developed, the bedrock is exposed, and the towering sky is towering, and it stands majestically in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains with its majestic posture of the peak, creating the backbone of Zhongnan Mountain. The vertical joints of the mountain here are developed, the spherical weathering is obvious, the peaks are towering, the mountains are stacked, the deep streams and valleys, the cliffs are erected, and it is called the "natural sculpture park".
The Qinling Mountains area has developed three groups of fault zones in the north-east, north-west and east-west directions, which are densely intertwined in the Cuihua Mountain area in the middle of the Zhongnan Mountain. The total area of the landslide landform of Zhongnan Mountain is 5.2 square kilometers, which is the largest in China and the third in the world. Here you can see the majestic remnant peaks, the spectacular collapsed stone sea, the deep strange caves and the charming dammed lakes and other geological wonders, beautiful and colorful.
Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark - Quaternary Glacier U-shaped Valley
Zhongnan Mountain is also a key area for the study of the paleoglaciation of the Qinling Mountains and the Quaternary glaciation in China, which mainly occurred about 11,500 years ago and was the product of the last Quaternary glaciation. Because there is no modern glacier to cover it, its glacial landform is more complete and complete, which is of great significance for the study of Quaternary paleoclimate evolution and paleoglaciation in China and even East Asia. The Taibai alpine belt of the Heihe scenic spot of the park retains the complete and spectacular Quaternary glacial landform relics, the forms are diverse, there are thousands of forms, in addition to the large area of the horn peak, the blade ridge, the moraine of the trough valley, there are more prestigious Taibai three pools, they are like a string of crystal clear pearls, inlaid in the strange peaks and strange walls of the top of the high mountain, the sky is blue and the water is clear, sparkling, full of wonderful and infinite charm, in the vigorous tectonic movement, it embodies the poetic and picturesque tenderness.
Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark landslide stone sea
In addition to glaciation, fault structures also play an important role in the evolution of geomorphology in the Qinling Mountains. Around 2.4 million years ago, the Qinling Mountains were uplifted step by step under the strong squeezing of the land mass, and the disconnection distance between the northern edge and the Weihe rift reached more than 10,000 meters, giving birth to a characteristic compound trench structure and barrier structure, and the fault basin with trenches and trenches in the trenches was developed, and the internal tilt movement had very significant tectonic deformation characteristics. The Qinling Mountains enter the three Qins in the east, the terrain is extended, the Lishan mountain fortress shaped like a black horse, the Weihe Basin criss-crossed by the valley has become the topography of the gift Zhongnan Mountain, during which the trickle of geothermal hot springs gushing out of the Huaqing Palace has infiltrated the land of Guanzhong in the mist of history and romance for thousands of years. Finally, the long geological evolution drama of the Qinling Mountains reached its climax.
A paradise inhabited by ancient humans and a paradise for animals and plants
The unique geological environment makes Zhongnan Mountain in the Qinling Mountains a happy land for ancient human habitation. Discovered in 1964, the ancient human site of Gongwangling in Lantian shows us that primitive humans lived in the middle of the Pleistocene and the early Paleolithic Age, and lit the beacon fire of human evolution in this fertile land. This is the oldest Homo erectus fossil ever found in northern Asia. If the ancient capital of Xi'an is an important symbol of the profound history and culture of the Chinese nation, then the Lantian ape-man site is the beginning of the rich history of Xi'an.
The skull of the Lantian ape-man site
The unique geological background of the Zhongnan Mountains in the Qinling Mountains has created the highest mountain in eastern China and the vast and rich Weishui Basin, which also supports the biodiversity of the Qinling Mountains. Due to the rise of the Zhongnanshan Mountains in the Qinling Mountains, the pace of northward advance of the warm and humid air mass from the Pacific Ocean has been slowed down, and the average annual precipitation of 800 mm ~ 1200 mm and the average annual temperature contour of 15 degrees Celsius pass through here, and the boundary between the subtropical and warm temperate zones is locked here, and the flora and fauna of the north and south are very different here. In the Qinling Mountains, the mountains are high and densely forested, the terrain is complex, the vertical zoning is obvious, and the complete primitive secondary plant communities are preserved in the reckless forest sea: Quercus chinensis, Taibai redwood, Rhododendron touhua, Wudang magnolia, etc. are colorful and varied; There are also the "Four Treasures of the Qinling Mountains" - the running takin, the frolicking golden snub-nosed monkey, the dexterous crested ibis and the honest giant panda.
Qinling golden snub-nosed monkey
Create a science paradise and enter the palace of research
Nowadays, Zhongnan Mountain, relying on perfect service facilities and convenient tourist transportation, is glowing and famous all over the world, and at the same time, it also adds a spiritual beauty, a fullness and a passion to Xi'an, a historical city with profound cultural heritage, and has become a fantasy holy land for people to explore the secluded spots, scientific investigations, camping vacations, and self-cultivation.
Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark Museum
In order to comprehensively display the achievements of geological relics protection and do a good job in popularizing science among the public, especially young people, Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark has established a three-dimensional and multi-dimensional youth science popularization system. The traditional way of popular science display has been upgraded, cloud-based, and more science popularization enthusiasts have been served, and the panoramic science popularization routes, the refinement of geological tourism products, the specialization of research bases, and the extension of research routes have been realized. Through these measures, Zhongnan Mountain in the Qinling Mountains has fulfilled its responsibilities as a global geopark, expanded its social influence, enhanced the visibility of the geopark, and comprehensively explained the concept of protecting geological relics, strengthening the popularization of geological science, and promoting community development.
Zhongnan Mountain of the Qinling Mountains, a simple and unpretentious mountain range composed of huge granite bodies, stands under it, and suddenly feels the majestic momentum of the landslide and ground cracking; In the meantime, Zhong Lingyuxiu, with green mountains and green waters, makes people nostalgic; Looking at its whole picture, the thick accumulation of human history is shocking. Now it stands on the world stage, showing the magic of the earth's creation, and showing the world the miraculous power of nature.
Autumn colors in the south of the South Mountain
We are willing to continue to tell the story of Qinling Zhongnan Mountain, so that Qinling Zhongnan Mountain Global Geopark can stand on a bigger stage, so that more people can feel the reckless Qinling Mountains, but they will be forever.
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